A highly unusual trip by the CIA director to Moscow this week was to warn Russia against any attack on NATO member states, U.S. media reported on Wednesday (August 26, 2026), after U.S. President Donald Trump sought to downplay the visit.
The Kremlin said on Wednesday (August 26) that Mr. The last time a CIA director visited Moscow was in November 2021 — when William Burns warned Russia against sending troops into Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal and CBS News reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe aimed to dissuade Russia from attacking NATO members amid U.S. intelligence assessments that Moscow could seek to test the alliance. Weeks later, the Kremlin launched its attack that turned into Europe’s worst conflict since World War II.
The White House did not respond to multiple AFP requests for comment on the matter, and Mr. “He’s there, very sort of semi-routine. I hate to disappoint people. We would like to see the war with Ukraine end,” Mr. Putin was briefed on the talks but refused to say whether the Ukraine war was raised. “Contacts through the intelligence services are a positive development in and of themselves. It is too early to say how this will affect the process of resolving the crisis in our relations,” Mr.
Trump said Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow on Tuesday (August 25) was “semi-routine,” implying that the intelligence chief was in the Russian capital to discuss the Ukraine war. Trump said in an interview with conservative radio host Glenn Beck. Ratcliffe had “contacts” with Russia’s special services on his visit to Moscow but did not meet President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Mr. Peskov said.
